DOM
I SVIJET SPOKE TO MONSIGNOR PERO ARACIC, DIRECTOR OF THE CROATIAN
FOREIGN MISSION ABOUT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND STATE; THE
CURRENT SITUATION, PROBLEMS AND THE FUTURE OF CROATIAN CATHOLIC
MISSIONS
I will co-operate with everybody in order to make the
missions more appealing to all worshippers, especially young people
It can
be said that problems vary from one country to another, from diocese
to diocese. On one hand, there is a lack of space, while on the
other hand, some are complaining that young people are losing
contact with Croatian Catholic Missions. In some countries the
missions are small and they are having financial difficulties. Also,
there will be increasingly less priests because their superiors and
bishops will not be able to spare them.
Will
second and third generation Croats be in touch with their national
missions, will they want to gather in the missions and will there be
enough priests and other pastoral workers?
The
Church on its part will do what is required: proclaim Jesus Christ
and educate worshippers for quality believing. Naturally, it will do
that with the foothold of the roots from which it arose, on the
bases of its proud history.
Natasa
S. Besirevic
ACCORDING TO YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE CURRENT
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND STATE IN CROATIA?
We
recently parted company with the first Croatian President Franjo
Tudjman. We all remember the pictures of respect which Croats
expressed. Church ceremonies and the requiem mass held in Zagreb’s
cathedral and in other bishop’s centres were impressionable. All
that suggests that the late President, both as a worshipper and as a
Croat, was aware of the importance of faith in the lives of
individuals and the people, but also of the real historical role of
the Catholic Church in Croatia throughout the centuries of its
Stations of the Cross. He also realised that the Croatian people
endured and survived, mostly thanks to the activities of the Catholic
Church. That is why President Tudjman, for example, wanted to sort out
relations between Croatia and the Vatican. By way of its specific
functioning, the Church will still continue contributing to the
maturing of general good and Christianity amongst the Croatian people,
providing warnings of negative appearances and initiating Christians
to constantly pledge for general good and to be responsible in
society.
FOLLOWING
30 YEARS OF FAITHFUL AND EXHAUSTING SERVICE TO THE CROATIAN FOREIGN
MISSION, MONSIGNOR STANKOVIC RETIRED THIS YEAR. WHAT DOES TAKING OVER
THAT JOB MEAN FOR YOU?
I would
once again like to emphasise that Monsignor Vladimir Stankovic donated
the best years of his life to servicing Croats throughout the entire
world, systemising that work by establishing numerous Croatian
Catholic Missions and parishes and caring for a large number of
priests, nuns, social and pastoral workers. For me personally this
position means the continuation of a specific type of religious
service to my fellow Croatian people.
Big
changes in Germany
FAMILIARISE
US WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF CROATIAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS?
As it
is known, Croatian Catholic Missions and parishes exist in Europe, the
United States of America, South America, Canada, Africa, Australia and
New Zealand. There are 120 missions in western Europe alone, with 147
priests, five deacons and 108 pastoral associates. On the remaining
continents there are a further 70 missions with 92 priests and about
38 pastoral associates. It is evident that these are impressive
numbers. However, these numbers, for the number of Croats, are
probably insufficient.
WHAT
ARE THE MOST RECENT PROBLEMS THAT CROATIAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS ARE FACED
WITH?
It can
be said that problems vary from one country to another, from diocese
to diocese. On one hand, there is a lack of space, which is emphasised
in Europe. On the other hand, some are complaining that young people
are losing contact with Croatian Catholic Missions. Children do not
know the Croatian language well enough, which makes religious contact
difficult. In some countries missions are small and have financial
difficulties. Also, there will be increasingly less priests because
their superiors and bishops will not be able to spare them. In
Germany, for example, big changes are being prepared due to, how do
they say it, language communities of foreigners. Social workers are no
longer special for certain nations, and so on.
WHAT
PROBLEMS WILL YOU BE FOCUSING ON AND HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT SOLVING
THEM?
A big
concern of mine is constantly motivating and praying that a sufficient
number of priests are sent. I want to emphasise that Croats throughout
the entire world should pray more in their communities and initiate
their youth to join the priesthood or become nuns. Naturally, it is
also necessary for young Croats to study theology and become pastoral
workers in Croatian Catholic Missions and in that way serve their
people.
I want
to establish a good relationship with all those who are responsible
for foreigners in various dioceses and who are searching for solutions
to all the difficulties. I will attempt to, together with priests and
other pastoral workers, think about how best to make our Croatian
Catholic Missions more appealing to young people and the increasing
number of Croatian worshippers. This will probably mean a programme
for both young people and grown ups. As part of this I will request
that Pastoral Councils is established in all Croatian Catholic
Missions, which would enable worshippers to directly influence
programmes and the dynamics of religious life in missions, but also be
co-responsible for attracting Croatian worshippers.
We
must not be a ghetto
ACCORDING
TO YOU, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD IN STORE FOR CROATIAN CATHOLIC
MISSIONS?
The
aim is, just like in similar missions, for them to be the bridges of
integration for immigrant worshippers in the Church, in the country in
which they have migrated. That is already happening with the second
generation. In the end it must be important to all of us that not a
single Croat is lost to religion, regardless to which language
religious community they belong. Church documents establish such
national communities from another horizon, which is that every culture
has its language, which is not only a language of words with which
they address God, but for celebrating God in their own way. That would
give the Croatian Catholic Missions a purpose when Croats wouldn’t
know the Croatian language well. Two issues are essential. Will second
and third generation Croats be in touch with their national missions?
Will they want to gather in the missions? And will there be enough
priests and other pastoral workers?
WHAT
CAN THE CHURCH DO FOR OUR EMIGRANTS?
Our
Church is no longer the only institution that cares for Croats. Now
there are two countries - Croatia and also Bosnia-Herzegovina. They
have taken over the responsibilities of cultural, political and
national gatherings and are taking over increasingly more authorised
institutions. I would recommend that as many Croats as possible,
especially young people, become involved in various national groups.
The
Church on its part will do what is required: proclaim Jesus Christ and
educate worshippers for quality believing. Naturally, it will do that
with the foothold of the roots from which it arose, on the bases of
its proud history and in the areas from where they came. That is a
mentioned speech that is not merely comprised of words. By way of
pilgrimages the Church will lead Croatian worshippers to their roots
and in that sense make them familiarised with their homeland and help
for them to love it and the Church of their fathers, grandfathers and
great grandfathers.
YOU
MESSAGE FOR EMIGRANT DAY?
Emigrant
Day contains two messages. The first is a reminder that we are
emigrants and that we are not at home. It reminds us of where we come
from. The second message reminds those which are in our vicinity that
we exist and to accept us just like others, allow us to be different
and that that is a richness which does not endanger anybody. In that
context the question of mutual acceptance is raised, rather the
possibility of us ghettoising ourselves or domestic people ghettoising
us. That is why I would like to invite people to ponder this thought:
what can we contribute for us not to become a ghetto and to establish
better relations with the parish that our mission is in and in which
we live. The motto of this year’s Emigrant Day is in the spirit of
that: “May migration – in the spirit of justice, equality and
solidarity – become the new source of the European future.”
I
wish everybody a joyous Christmas, the birth of Christ. May the new,
jubilant year 2000, be a year of enlightenment in regards to our own
faith and the importance of Jesus for our personal lives, which
reminds us of his arrival 2000 years ago.
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